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HomeMy WebLinkAboutAcquistion of Downtown Park Property-EllensburgAPPUCATION FOR TOURISM-RELATED,LARGE-SCALE MUNICIPALITY-OWNED CIP LISTING Applicant Information Name of Municipality:City of Ellensburg Mailing Address:501 N Anderson Ellensburg,WA 98926 Contact Person and Title:Brad Case,Parks &Recreation Director Phone:509-925-86396 APP 14 Email:caseb@cityofellensburg.org Project Title:Acquisition of Downtown Park Property Project Location:4th &Pearl Wells Fargo/Rotary Pavilion Application Requirements X_1.The project qualifies for lodging tax funds as a capital expenditure of a tourism- related facility owned or operated by a municipality. X 2.If this application is not from Kittitas County,the municipality's lodging tax advisory committee (or equivalent)has been informed of the project and endorsed it.A letter from the municipality is included. X 3.Lodging tax capital project funds are not being substituted for other funds that are already secured or applied for (if applicable). X 4.A completed project budget is included in the application. X 5.A detailed 8 ½X 11vicinity map that clearly shows the location of the project is included. Tourism-Related,Large-ScaleMunicipality-Owned Capital Project Narrative 1.Project Description:Please describe the project in detail.Indicate the major work to be completed,any milestones that need to be overcome in order for the project to move forward,and include a comparison of existing and proposed conditions. Funds from the 'Tourism-Related,Large-Scale Municipality-Owned Capital Project'program will be used to assist with the purchase of the property located at the northwest corner of 4th Avenue and Pearl Street in downtown Ellensburg.This area is currently being operated as the Wells Fargo Bank drive thru and the City operated 'Rotary Pavilion',the property totals 21,600 square feet (.49 acres).The owners of the property recently expressed an interest in selling the property,if acquired by the City,the property would serve as a downtown park and community space.Through partnerships with various local organizations,the City will be able to host and co-sponsor events throughout the year to our downtown. For the past 36 years the City has leased 3,654 square feet (.08 acres)of this property for the purposes of providing public space.The area being leased by the City has a gazebo,benches, public art and beautification.By purchasing the property,the City,with communityand user- group input,could design and develop a space meeting the current and future park needs in downtown Ellensburg. 2.Kittitas County Tourism InfrastructurePlan:Please explain how the project meets the Goals and Actions in the Kittitas County Tourism InfrastructurePlan as adopted.Also,describe the specific county tourism infrastructure needs the project addresses and how the project directly increases tourism.Explain how the improvements will promote tourism in Kittitas County and indicate specifically how the improvements will directly increase economic activity resulting from tourists. Under public ownership this space will be available for weekend and weeknight events,as well as general park use.The space is currently used as bank drive thru which limits the opportunities for community events to take place at this location.Since the property's primary function is that of a drive-thru bank,the site also creates some logistical and program delivery challenges for existing events.By acquiring the property,the space can be redesigned and intended to serve as a public park and gathering space.There are currently a handful of public events already taking place at the site throughout the year.For the last 19 years this location has served as the main venue for 'Jazz in the Valley',a three-day jazz event which over 3,000 people attended in 2016.'Buskers in the Burg','Hoedown in the Downtown','Hometown Holidays','Dachshunds on Parade',and the Farmers Market Children's Activity Day have also used the space.At one time this location was home to the Ellensburg Farmers Market.If acquired,the City,through a public participation process,could design and build a space that meets a variety of needs.The space could be designed to accommodate someone looking to have a picnic downtown to large scale community event that bring in tourists and tourism dollars into our local community. 3.Real Property:If real property acquisition is a component of the project,please explain. Include any information of property already secured or evidence of the ability to secure the real property. The property is owned by a local family who then leases the property to Wells Fargo Bank.The City of Ellensburg leases a portion of the property for the purposes of providing an outdoor public space.Wells Fargo will be vacating the property on June 23,2017 as a part of their business plan which calls for shutting down drive-thru banding operations throughout the United States.The bank will continue to the lease the property until 2020,however the property owner has expressed a desire to sell the property prior to that date.City officials have been in negotiations to purchase the property with the property owner for the last two years. 4.Coordination:Please explain how this project has been coordinated with other jurisdictions as well as affected stakeholders.Please include letters of support from stakeholders. The City has engaged the Chamber of Commerce,the EIIensburg Downtown Association,and various individuals from community events such as the 'Jazz in the Valley',in discussions about acquiring the property.Developing a public space,with recreation and communityevents in mind,has created a lot of excitement and support.For the last 36 years the City and groups have been successful in hosting events in small space and parking lot.The opportunity to have green space,water features,gathering spaces,public restrooms,and places for public art are missing in our downtown.The location of this property,in the heart of our downtown,would provide our citizens and visitors to our community,with a very special place. 5.Studies:Please attach any feasibility or other studies that demonstrate linkages between the proposed project and the anticipated tourism impacts.Also please include your operations/maintenancestrategy and other plans for long-term project sustainability (how the facility or facilities will be operated and maintained over at least five years following completion). As a City and community,we benefit from creating opportunities for visitors to come into Ellensburg to spend money.A downtown park will increase the quality of life for our residents and help draw people to our downtown.A recent study conducted by Arnett Muldrew,titled 'Downtown Market Study and Economic Development Plan -Ellensburg,Washington',identified four key strategies critical to the future success of downtown Ellensburg.The first strategy was reinforcing the center of downtown Ellensburg,which is identified in the plan as the intersection of 4th &Pearl,which is coincidentally the exact location of the proposed park. Reinforcing downtown,as stated in the report,"Is designed to focus on the core of downtown Ellensburg by providing enhanced gathering places and gateways to the community in the public realm and additional development opportunities in vacant ground floor and,more importantly,upper floor spaces."(page 26,Downtown Market Study and Economic Development Plan).The highest priority in making this a reality is creating what the study calls an 'EIIensburg Town Square'as a gathering place.Mulldrew states,"Perhaps the most significant public improvement shown on the plan is to create a true Ellensburg town square adjacent to the Rotary Pavilion.Figure 8 below shows some examples of similar spaces in other places and the plan in Figure 9 shows that the Ellensburg Town Square would retain parking on some of the space,make better use of parking on adjacent blocks,and replace existing parking with a green lawn panel and a small splash pad that can be used as the central gathering place for the community.This space could include restrooms relocated from 3rd and Main as well as the downtown visitor's center."(page 26,Downtown Market Study and Economic Development Plan). The plan also includes a section dedicated to 'Enhancing the Visitor Experience'.In that section the concept of locating a visitors'center in the core of downtown was highly recommended, "The Wells Fargo Drive Thru could be an ideal location for such a facility as it is in the heart of the community,offers "storefront"convenience,and could also provide public restrooms in the center of downtown."(page 37,Downtown Market Study and Economic Development Plan). In February 2016 the Ellensburg City Council adopted the 'City of Ellensburg 2016 Park, Recreation,and Open Space Plan'.This plan was the culmination of over a years-worth of community outreach and input.An online survey,completed by over 440 people,asked a variety of parks &recreation related questions,one of those questions asked,'what additional recreation programs do you feel need the City of Ellensburg should offer or expand?'The number one response to that question was 'Special events (concerts in the park,festivals, movies,etc.)'(pg.244,City of Ellensburg Parks &Recreation System Comprehensive Plan Update 2016).By acquiring the Wells Fargo property and developing it into a park site that could be used to host these special events. Maintenance and operation of the space will be the responsibility of the City Parks Maintenance Division,which has five full time employees and up to six season employees. There has been discussion with the Chamber about the potential of providing space inside the existing bank for office space,as well as converting the restrooms into public restrooms by adding an exterior entrance to the restrooms,providing greater accessibility for the public. 6.Project Readiness:Please provide a detailed project schedule,including milestones necessary for completion as mentioned in question 1 above.On the schedule,indicate items completed and exactly where in the schedule the project is at this time.Be sure to include expected completion date. The City could occupy the space any time after June 23,2017 when Well Fargo closes their drive thru banking operation.The City would develop a master plan for both the outside space and the indoor space,this process could take up to 6-8 months.Funding would need to be secured to implement the master plan,this could take an additional 24 months. 7.Applicant Certification:Please sign below in agreement with the statement of certification. Certification is hereby given that the information provided is accurate and the applicable attachments are complete and included as part of the application package. I furth ify that te application threshol are m4et at the f applicati . Sign ture of Officia epresentative Title Date Tourism-Related,Large-Scale Municipality-Owned Capital Project Budget Acquisition of Downtown Park Property Real Property Funding Sources Expense Property Appraisal (completed in 2017)$500.000.00 City Park Impact Fees $250,000.00 Grant Request $250,000.00 Total $500,000.00 $500,000.00 This project is solely for the acquisition of the property,there are no development or design fees included in this estimate.The Park Impact Fee balance currently has enough money to support the purchase of the property. , i a i L Downtown Market Study and Economic Development Plan ELLENSBURG,WASHINGTON -rpn tdWmuldrow PLAN PRESERVE PROMOTE -Preparedfor City of Ellensburg Lodging Tax Commission Ellensburg Downtown Association Ellensburg Business Development Authority Kittitas County Chamber of Commerce 4.0 Recommendations The recommendations in this chapter are divided into four key strategies important for the future success of downtown Ellensburg: •Reinforcing the Center:This strategy is designed to focus on the core of downtown Ellensburg by providing enhanced gathering places and gateways to the community in the public realm and additional development opportunities in vacant ground floor and,more importantly,upper floor spaces. •Expanding Success:This strategy recognizes that the core of Ellensburg is highly developed, and there is great potential to expand the footprint of downtown to include blocks that would connect downtown to major development opportunity sites. •Connecting the Community:This strategy focuses on multiple modes of transportation that allow locals and visitors to use downtown Ellensburg by car,bike,on foot,or by public transit.It also continues to reinforce the importance of connections between downtown and existing hotels and between Central Washington University and downtown. •Enhancing the Visitor Experience:This strategy recognizes that tourism and visitor traffic are critical to the success of Ellensburg.Recommendations here focus on having a curated visitor experience and on the potential for a new hotel and meeting space in downtown Ellensburg. 4.1 Reinforcing the Center 4.1.1 Implement Ellensburg Town Square as a gathering place.High Priority. Perhaps the most significant public improvement shown on the plan is to create a true Ellensburg town square adjacent to the Rotary Pavilion.Figure 8 below shows some examples of similar spaces in other places and the plan in Figure 9 shows that the Ellensburg Town Square would retain parking on some of the space,make better use of parking on adjacent blocks,and replace existing parking with a green lawn panel and a small splash pad that can be used as the central gathering place for the community.This space could include restrooms relocated from 3rd and Main as well as the downtown visitor's center. Figure 8:Green gathering spaces. 26 503N.PEARLST.-UPPERFLOORRESIDENTIAL(COMPLETE).ELKSBUILDINGRENOVATIONANDOUTDOORDININGADDITION(INPROGRES5)420BUILDING-REUSEOPPORTUNITYCLYMERMUSEUM-BOUTIQUEHOTEL(INPLANNING)BLUEROCKSALOONREUSE(COMPLETE)--,yTHEELMIRA-UPPERFLOORREUSEOPPORTUNITYELLENSBURGTOWNSGUARE-OPPORTUNITYCASTLEBUILDINGREUSE(COMPLETE)FARMERSMARKET-NEWALIGNMENTOPPORTUNITYGEDDISBUILDING-UPPERFLOORRESIDENTIALOPPORTUNITYELLENSBURGFLORAL-UPPERFLOORREUSEOPPORTUNITYCOWORKINGSPACE-OPPORTUNITYEXISTINGPARKINGLOT-REDEVELOPMENTOPPORTUNITYKLEINBERGBUILDINGREU5E(INPROGRESS)ICRGBUILDINGREUSE(COMPLETE)ELLENSBURGGATEWAYPLAZA-OPPORTUNITYOLDELLENSBURGHOTEL-OPPORTUNITYUSNPAVBCRE5TROOMS)ELLENSBURG,WADOWNTOWNMASTERPLAN350AYEDowntownCoreIllusePlanFigure9EllensburgCoreAreaPlan28 City of Ellensburg CITY OF ELLENSBURG PARKS &RECREATION SYSTEM COMPREHENSIVEPLAN UPDATE 2016 Weekend evenings 39 9% Respondents indicated that weekday evenings are the most convenient times for them to participate in programs,followed by weekend afternoons and weekend mornings. Respondents indicated that the most inconvenient times for them to participate in programs are weekend evenings and weekday mornings. Besides weekday evenings and weekend afternoons or mornings,drop-in formats emerged as a popular choice.This could be a format that can be explored to satisfy multiple user needs,especially if offered during weekends where more than one convenient time is identified. Table 13.Question 19.What additional recreation programs do you feel the City of EIIensburg should offer or expand?(Please seleo all that apply) Answer Count Percentage Special events (concerts in the park,festivals,168 38%movies,etc.) Outdoor/Environmental programs 163 37% Fitness classes (aerobics,yoga,etc.)110 25% Sports (Baseball,Ultimate Frisbee,etc.)102 23% General interest classes (music lessons,93 21%computers,etc.) Not completed or Not displayed 80 18% Arts (drama,painting,etc.)77 17% Aquatic programs (swim lessons,water exercise,77 17%etc.) Drop-in activities 70 16% Before and after school programs 68 15% Other (see Appendix A)57 13% No additional programs are needed 18 4% In general,outcomes suggest a need for more variety in recreation programming opportunities.Respondents were most enthusiastic about Ellensburg offering additional special events,outdoor/environmental programs and fitness classes.AII of these programs could be supported through outside partners or organizations. When compared with responses from the 2002 Survey,there were more respondents who prioritized before and after school programs and aquatic programs,but fewer who prioritized special events and fitness classes. Respondents were provided with the opportunity to identify "other"additional recreation programs that the City of Ellensburg should offer or expand.Of the 57 open-ended responses,some of the most common responses included ice hockey,roller skating,tennis, biking/cycling and opportunities for children. Page 244 City of Ellensburg Parks &Recreation System Comprehensive Plan Update 2016 Lodging Tax Advisory Committee 501 North Anderson Street ca of Ellensburg,WA 98926ORS(509)962-7124 Fax (509)925-8662 Nancy Lillquist Committee Chair April 14,2017 Matt Anderson Committee Member Amy McGuffin Kittitas County Commissioners Committee Member Attn:Lodging Tax Grant Application 205 W 5th Avenue,Suite 108 Hilary Huffman Ellensburg,WA 98926CommitteeMember RE:Letter of Support for Lodging Tax Grant Program Applications Dear County Commissioners: At the April 5,2017 meeting,the City Lodging Tax committeestaff Beth Leader discussed prospective projects for application to the Kittitas County leaderb@cityofellensburg.org 6tant PrOgram for Tourism-Related,Large-Scale,Municipality-Owned Capital Projects.Of those discussed the City Lodging Tax committee supports and endorses the projects of wayfindingsignage and the 4th and 4th &Pearl Street property acquisition for a downtown park. Please let us know ¡f you need any further information,or have any questions. Thank you. ·cerely, Beth Leader Recording Secretary Lodging Tax Advisory Committee